Neighbors in north Buckhead’s Chastain Park community will be treated to the Bluegrass and BBQ social evening Aug. 1 at the Chastain Horse Park on Powers Ferry Road. Hosted by the Saratoga Event Group and Avenue Catering Concepts in cooperation with the Chastain Park Conservancy, the free event is planned as a “thank you” to the nonprofit entities that enhance family life in the surrounding communities.

The nonprofit conservancy’s mission is to restore, enhance, maintain and preserve the park. Joining it at the party are the Chastain Civic Association, which provides leadership, governmental oversight and a “voice of the community,” and the horse park, which has programs to develop skills in confidence, team playing, courage, friendship and fun along with equestrian skills and a therapeutic riding program.

The larger community is invited to Bluegrass and BBQ with live music, cocktails and tasty food to meet new neighbors, tour the newly renovated horse park clubhouse and hear about various ongoing programs, and join in efforts to enrich family life in the historic park areas.

Chastain is the largest park in the city of Atlanta. It is named for Troy Green Chastain, a member of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners from 1938-42. Encompassing 268 acres, the facility includes greenspaces, youth baseball, softball and football fields, jogging paths, playgrounds, tennis courts, a golf course, a swimming pool, a horse park and an amphitheater. The wedge-shaped public area is bounded on the east by Lake Forrest Drive, the west-southwest by Powers Ferry Road and the north by the city of Sandy Springs.

The surrounding residential neighborhoods are also known as Chastain Park and have been the catalyst to preserve and improve the area for the enjoyment of the larger community.

The TreeKeepers educational program initiated in 2008 by Trees Atlanta to engage metro Atlanta resident in the nonprofit’s mission to preserve and enlarge the city’s tree canopy and greenscape is being expanded this season.

A seven-session practical tree education program will include indoor and outdoor activities, lively presentations by certified instructors and engaging hands-on demonstrations. Beginning Aug. 3 and running Aug. 10, 17 and 24 and Sept. 7, 14 and 22, the $75 Saturday series will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the Kendeda Center headquarters on Chester Avenue in Reynoldstown. The 2013 class is full but residents can inquire about next year’s classes.

Education Coordinator Kate Baltzell said the three-hour sessions will be taught by Trees Atlanta certified staff and community tree experts covering all levels: tree selection, planting and care; tree diseases and invasive plants; proper tree pruning techniques; Atlanta’s trees and urban forests information and volunteer project leadership. Upon completion, graduates will be trained to continue stewardship of Atlanta’s urban forest. Participants will also receive a copy of the “Field Guide to Eastern Trees,” a native tree and much more.

Founded in 1985 by Central Atlanta Progress, the Atlanta Commissioner of Parks and the Junior League of Atlanta, Trees Atlanta was initially tasked with improving the tree canopy in downtown Atlanta. Despite the fact that metro Atlanta is recognized by the National Forest Service as “the most heavily forested urban area in the country,” the Atlanta central business district was severely lacking in trees compared to other major cities across the country.

Trees Atlanta met that challenge head-on, planting more than 40 shade trees in downtown Atlanta in its first year. Since then, it has expanded its focus to the entire metro area inside Interstate 285. And, 96,000 trees later, the mission continues to evolve with an army of volunteers trained by certified staff experts to protect and improve Atlanta’s urban forest by planting trees, conserving greenspace and educating the public.

These actions have resulted in Trees Atlanta becoming one of the most widely known nonprofits throughout metro Atlanta and a highly regarded community steward of the urban environment. Headed by Co-Executive Directors Connie Veates and Greg Levine, Trees Atlanta is supported by volunteers, donations and capital campaign funds.

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